7.05.2013

Whenever I hear Roberta Flack singing The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, the song tugs on my emotions, makes me reflective, sends me to a time years ago when I met my first true love. Just listen...

First impressions are so important, especially in romance. Me and a few friends of mine would like to share some of those first impressions. Okay, maybe some of them are second or third impressions. Okay, okay, some of them are ah-ha moments when the heroine first realizes the man she's ogling might be her new hero. All of them are moments that take the heroine's breath away.Click on the book cover for the Kindle buy link.

Here's the blurb...

Peyton Chandler has done everything to protect her son Jake from the evil men who would destroy her by destroying him. For years, she has allowed another woman to raise her son, kept herself apart from him, and hidden behind her dead sister's identity, never allowing herself to get close to anyone--not even Sheriff Brian Parker, the one man whose love and respect she craves. When Brian receives a note claiming there's an impostor in town, he doesn't know where to start his investigation. Peyton fears she will lose the man she loves if he discovers she's not the woman she claims to be.

Here's the excerpt...

Emily arched
one finely chiseled eyebrow before making her announcement. “He’s in the
kitchen.”

Could she pretend
ignorance? Peyton didn’t think so, but she tried the tactic anyhow. “Who?”

Emily pointed
toward the community center before she scooted away.

I wonder if she heard us talking. Oh well!
So she’s on to me. Big deal. As long as he doesn’t catch on, what does it
matter? I don’t have to find him. I can leave now, and he might never even know
I changed my mind and came to this thing anyway.

She didn’t
leave. Instead she sauntered toward the building, muttering to herself about
Emily’s unspoken insinuations. The clang of large, institutional-sized pots
bumping against each other filtered out the door. Standing in the threshold
with the brilliant sunshine behind her, she tried to adjust her focus to peer
into the dark interior.

A man whistled
an inconsistent melody. She couldn’t see him, but she was certain the whistler
was Brian Parker. The tune stopped mid-note. “Well, if it isn’t my angel of
mercy. I thought you weren’t coming!”

She overlooked
the angel of mercy reference. She was no angel. “Well, I changed my mind. A
girl can do that, you know.” She shifted out of the glare so she could see his
face.

He grinned at
her. “How’re things going with you?”

With one smile, he
brightened her entire day.

Here's the Blurb...

A
decorated police officer, more intent on justice than following the letter of
the law, lands in trouble when a gorgeous schoolteacher finds a dead body on
the beach. Officer Donovan Andrews knows how to have a good time—ask any woman
in town. But when it comes to men abusing their wives or children, Donovan
takes it upon himself to make them regret it. Madeline Scott is unlucky in
love. All she wants is a quiet place to heal, away from cheating, womanizing
men. However, her life is far from peaceful once she stumbles across the body
and witnesses someone fleeing the scene. Terror spreads in Pleasant View when
the small community hears a killer is on the loose. All evidence points to
Donovan, and he realizes someone is trying to frame him. When troubling suspicions
from his past surface, even fellow officers believe he’s guilty. Madeline might
be the only person who can clear his name, but first he has to win her trust.
The body count rises and no one is safe. The murderer makes it clear Madeline
is next. Soon, Donovan’s whole world is focused on protecting her and keeping
himself out of prison. The more time he spends with her, the harder it is to
fight his growing attraction. However, she’s been burned by love, and
convincing Madeline he’s interested in something more than hot sex may prove
harder than keeping her alive.

Here's the excerpt...She put the cell phone into her
pocket and watched as the rescue people ran down the beach. There was no reason
for them to hurry, except for the rising tide.

The first officer approached, his
attention focused solely on her. He didn’t even glance at the body. “Miss Scott,
is it? Dispatch said you discovered the body?” He gave a friendly smile as he
closed the remaining distance between them. “I’m sorry. That must’ve been a
shock.”

Madeline nodded. “Yes, it was,
Officer...”

“Andrews, Donovan Andrews.” He stuck
out his hand and gave another reassuring smile.

Madeline smiled back, trying to
offer some reassurance of her own as she shook his hand. No, Officer Andrews, I’m not going to faint. I promise I won’t
complicate your crime scene by breaking into hysterics. Madeline almost
laughed, though she wished she really could faint.

She shivered and hugged her arms
tightly to her body. Having been idle for several minutes, the bite of the cold
wind chilled her skin. While she and Brutus trotted along at a quick pace, she’d
been warm enough. Now, Madeline wished she’d brought a jacket.

Officer Andrews must have noticed.
He slipped his arms from his black windbreaker and slung it around Madeline’s
shoulders, battling the wind to wrap it around her. He adjusted the collar
against her neck and his fingers brushed her skin lightly, sending a tingle of
awareness through her. The gesture, and her body’s reaction to it, caught her
off guard. Madeline took a step back, avoiding his touch.

“Sorry,” he said. “You look like
you’re freezing. I know it’s April, but you really shouldn’t go around without
a jacket in the evening, Miss. It gets mighty cold.”

Madeline grabbed the edges of his
jacket and pulled it tightly against her. His spicy scent tickled her senses as
it wafted up from the fabric. “Thanks. I’ll remember that. Normally I run with
Brutus and don’t stand around long enough to get cold. Next time I find a body,
I’ll keep running.”

“Touché.” A grin flashed across his
face briefly. “Seriously, though, are you okay?”

She nodded and looked up at him,
pleasantly surprised she had to look
up. At five foot ten, Madeline was a giant compared to most women. She’d long
since given up the dream of being one of those petite, delicate things men loved
to wrap their arms around.

Andrews was very tall with a
slender body. His police uniform didn’t offer much in the way of discovering
what his body looked like, but Madeline sensed a core of strength. At least if
she dated him she could wear heels.

And
where did that thought come from?

Activity whirled next to them as
the EMS team attended to the body. Officer Andrews spared a glance for the
corpse, and his blue eyes tightened around the corners. His face paled and when
he met Madeline’s eyes again, he looked shaken.

“Did you know him?” she asked.

The officer nodded.

Great
question, genius. In a town of less than 3000, of course he knew the victim.

Here's the blurb...

Stella Matson has had it with handsome guys who schmooze
their way into a woman’s heart and walk out the door when they get a better
offer. As far as she’s concerned, she needs to focus on the one thing that
won’t leave her teary-eyed on a Friday night – work. That plan goes horribly
awry when drop-dead gorgeous, Alex Clay, is temporarily assigned to her department.
He frustrates and excites her, and she’s afraid her heart is in danger again.

Alex Clay is trying to find his place in the world of
business. His boss seems to be grooming him for big things by giving him a
taste of everything from the mailroom to the boardroom. When he does a short
stint in the advertising department and meets hardheaded but intriguing, Stella
Matson, she challenges his convictions and stirs an unwanted desire. He doesn’t
know whether to kiss her until they’re both breathless, or find a new job.

Will Stella and Alex act on the attraction sizzling between
them? Or will they extinguish it since office romances spell trouble?

Here's the excerpt...

One foot in front of the other, Stella repeated while
walking the painful-plank back to her desk.

She tried to collect herself. Any minute Alex would join her
and she didn’t want to fall apart in front of him.

Before she could blink, he was there.

“Stella.” His voice cracked. “I wanted to tell you what was
going on, but I didn’t think I would need to. I thought all of this would blow
over.”

Anger turned to pain and suddenly Stella hurt in places she
didn’t think possible. She wanted to ask him if he wanted to tell her when he
was kissing her, or unzipping her dress, or when he was making love to her and
whispering tenderly in her ear.

“I should’ve told you,” he said quietly. “Please don’t be
upset.”

Being upset didn’t begin to skim the surface. He’d known all
along and still seduced her. Stella felt the color drain from her face at the
same time her fists clenched. With absolute preciseness she enunciated her words
so he couldn’t mistake any of them. “I – want – to – be – left – alone.”

Alex made a swipe for her hand, but she quickly crossed her
arms. “Go away.”

“No, Stella. Let’s deal with this now. They made me an offer
and I turned it down.” He groaned from deep in his chest. “I told Maggie no. I
told Jett no. I told Marc no.” He shook his head. “And then Maggie pulled this
stunt.”

Stella waved him away. “Seriously, go away.” At that moment
she was thankful she didn’t cancel the trip to Key West. More than anything she
needed sunshine, margaritas and space from self-serving pains in the neck.

Alex’s voice
was thick with tension. “Stella.”

“Please leave.”

“Don’t shut me out,” Alex pleaded.

Too late, buddy. The
door is being sealed.

Here's the blurb...

She went looking for an old flame and found a serial killer
instead.

When Beth lost her father to cancer and her husband to
another woman, she didn’t know where to turn.So she retreated to the family cabin at Stutter Creek.Some of the best times of her life were
spent at that cabin.That’s where
she met her first crush, a boy named John.But that was many years ago . . . could he possibly still be
around?Or would she find
something sinister instead?

Ann Swann is the author of All For Love, a contemporary love
story published by 5 Prince Publishing.She is the author of Stevie-girl and the Phantom Pilot, and Stevie-girl
and the Phantom Student, tales of the supernatural.She has also written numerous award winning short
stories.She lives in West Texas
with her husband and their rescue pets.She loves libraries and book stores and owns two different e-readers
just for fun.Her to-be-read list
has taken on a life of its own.She calls it Herman.

Here's the excerpt...

Amanda Myers was making a conscious effort to keep her heavy
foot off the Toyota’s gas pedal when she spied what appeared to be a small boy
standing beside the road. An old fashioned newsboy cap nearly obscured his tiny
face.

Mandy hit the brake and steered the Celica toward the gravel
shoulder. With a practiced hand, she quickly texted her coworker, Myra, and
asked her to concoct a cover story for her tardiness.

The kid had seemed very small in silhouette—maybe five or
six years old—and no house or vehicle in sight.

When Myra texted back to say the boss was on the warpath,
Mandy replied, “Well, just tell him I stopped to pick up a boy on the edge of
town. That should really turn his face red!” It was an inside joke. Everyone
knew when the boss’s face was red it was wise to give him a wide berth.

Myra sent back a row of question marks.

“L8R,” Mandy responded. She looked all around. She had
assumed the little guy would come dashing up to the car as soon as she had come
to a stop. But even when she could no longer hear the crunch of her tires on
gravel, he still hadn’t materialized.

I didn’t pass him by
that much.

Craning her neck to see past the Toyota’s blind spot, Mandy
dropped the phone into the center console drink holder and shoved the gearshift
into park. A thick stand of live oaks cast a deep shadow over the bar ditch.
The setting sun made the trees appear as black-paper cutouts in a landscape
collage.

After checking her mirrors to make sure no one was behind
her, Mandy pressed the button to lower the passenger-side window.

It was almost all the
way down when a man yanked open the door and exploded into her world like a
tornado into a trailer park.Her
hand flew to the gearshift, but she couldn’t engage it.Even as her flight instinct kicked in,
part of her mind was telling her this was almost certainly the same strange guy
who had requested her section at the restaurant the night before.His eyes had seemed to follow her all
around the crowded dining room, and his oily stench had made him stand out like
a spot of mold on white linen.

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Some stuff about me...

Denise wrote her
first story when she was in high school—seventeen hand-written pages on
school-ruled paper and an obvious rip-off of the last romance novel she read.
She earned a degree in accounting, giving her some nice skills to earn a little
money, but her passion has always been writing. She has written numerous short
stories and more than a few full-length novels. Her favorite pastimes when
she’s not writing are spending time with her family, traveling, reading, and
scrapbooking. She lives in Louisiana with the most wonderful husband and the two best children in the whole wide world.